I have just finished watching the entire first season of the HBO series, Deadwood, and I must say I was impressed. I have been reluctant to watch the show for reasons I can't even formulate now that I've seen it and I cannot wait to rent the next season.
"Deadwood" is about a gold mining town in the Black Hills (S.Dakota) following the battle at Little Big Horn (Custer's Last Stand). The land was not technically U.S. territory because it had been annexed to the Native American Sioux Tribe. After the discovery of gold and U.S. anti-Indian attitudes flamed by the slaughter at Little Big Horn, it was inevitable that the gold-rich Black Hills would be reclaimed by the U.S....but not before tens of thousands of miners flooded the region with the intention of raping the land more than just gold!
While Timothy Olyphant is brilliant as real life U.S. Marshall/pioneer Seth Bullock, it is Ian McShane's performance as the owner of the Gem Saloon/Brothel, Al Swearengen, that stands out as the most fulfilling as well as most disturbing. Al is a selfish, emotionless, misogynistic, killer whose only goal in life is to sell booze and "Snatch" at premium prices. As evil as Al can be, he seldom lets his human frailty show and it is during these times that the audience is faced with conflicting emotions of hatred and sympathy. Al is a character you hate to love and love to hate!
The characters of Deadwood range from note worthy historic figures such as Bullock and Swearengen, to famous historical icons such as Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane, to fictional characters that serve to fill in gaps in historical resources. David Milch, the creator, writer, and director of Deadwood, takes minor liberties with the historical facts but for the most part portrays life in a post-civil war mining camp as accurately as possible. Deadwood is not a show for prudish or squeamish viewers. Milch refuses to dilute history by censoring nudity, gore, drug use, or language. I thought people were simply being facetious when discussing the abundance of the word "cock sucker" in the show but after seeing the show for myself, I feel that most frat houses would be hard pressed to keep up with McShane's "colorful" language during a drinking contest. While some people will be turned off by the crass atmosphere of Deadwood, I highly recommend giving the show a chance if for no other reason than to learn more about the history of Indian subjugation and American hardships that followed the Civil War.
I also recommend the HBO's series, ROME, for fans of historical docudramas. I might even write a blog on it in the future.
Deadwood IMDb Site
ROME IMDb Site
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